Posted on 01/24/2009 4:03:45 AM PST by Zakeet
Now that George W. Bush has finally left office, here's a challenge to a nation famous for its proud tradition of invention: Can somebody invent a machine capable of fully measuring the disaster that was the Bush presidency?
[Snip]
In a way that was inconceivable when he took office, Mr. Bush -- the advance man for the "ownership society," smaller and more trustworthy government, and a humble foreign policy -- increased the size and scope of the federal government to unprecedented levels. At the same time, he constantly flashed signs of secrecy, duplicity, ineffectiveness and outright incompetence.
Think for a moment about the thousands of Transportation Security Administration screeners -- newly minted government employees all -- who continue to confiscate contact-lens solution and nail clippers while, according to nearly every field test, somehow failing to notice simulated bombs in passenger luggage.
Or schoolchildren struggling under No Child Left Behind, which federalized K-12 education to an unprecedented degree with nothing to show for it other than greater spending tabs. Or the bizarrely structured Medicare prescription-drug benefit, the largest entitlement program created since LBJ. Or the simple reality that taxpayers now guarantee some $8 trillion in inscrutable loans to a financial sector that collapsed from inscrutable loans.
Such programs were not in any way foisted on Mr. Bush, the way that welfare reform had been on Bill Clinton; they were signature projects, designed to create a legacy every bit as monumental and inspiring as Laura Bush's global literacy campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Bull. For one thing, unlike Bush who never, ever fired on single security bureaucrat, we would of had tens, if not a hundreds fired in the days after 9/11. From the FBI to the CIA, Minetta, the military. The last plane, where the citizens disregarded all of the government expert advice and acted like natural Americans would of been the fate of all the air craft if we didn't live in a constant 'be passive about everything' except obeying Republican and Democrat Big Nanny government. By the way, Bush's famous reading list is airport reading. None of it intellectually challenging. Kind of sad really, and sad that he would let his list get out. The good thing is, finally, please GOD, have the GOP die. Let the RINOs all go on their knees to Bwarny Fwank, and let there be a conservative party that will receive the vast amount of present GOP donors and fieldworkers, because that really is the GOP now. Conservative voters, conservative donors, conservative workers and a elitist, liberal, country club, East Coast 'leadership'. Time for some a revolt and out with the aristocracy.
Wrong! We are Bush bashing conservatives who have watched a man burn more political capital in the name of compassionate conservatism than any other president in history.
What a wasted eight years he led.
“Big Government Republicanism. This is something that all who are pushing Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana need to know about.”
That is interesting. Please expand on this.
To be fair, Bush did not want these people to be goobermint employees. That was the price 'rats extracted for approving the Homeland Security bill. The screeners before 9/11 were doing just fine and needed no replacement. But they weren't union y'see.
A small point, but if this guy is misleading on small points who knows what error he introduces on larger points.
“Jorge pretty much destroyed the republicrat party.”
Truth. There was a lot of Bush kool-aid being drunk for the last eight years. But, to be honest, I’d call it more a Republican suicide attempt. It didn’t kill the party, it only made it very, very sick. Recovery is in doubt.
How is this a wasted eight years when there is so much he did right? He fought for the social issues from top to bottom against a powerful fight by the media. He got two excellent Supreme Court nominees in with out. His tax cuts spurred long term growth. His defense of the nation has been beyond anyone’s expectations.
His big government ways and complete lack of leadership on reigning in government is a huge disappointment, for sure. His unwillingness to talk to the American people for the last term was terrible. You can’t say you’d rather have a Clinton, Gore, Kerry, or Obama in there to eliminate all the good that was done.
A Governor, no matter how conservative and honest, is not the emperor or king. Often he is forced to work with the legislature... and due to being governor, he gets the blame.
That said, the reason GWB so easily gave away billions and trillions of $$ in meaningless social pandering programs is because as someone brought up in opulent wealth, money really meant very little to him.
He figured it just another “thing” to be doled out, like property or cars or stock options.
The reason most billionaires are Democrats is because they are subconsciously guilty at being so blessed... and thus any criticism that the ‘non wealthy’ are suffering causes them to begin handing out goodies.
If you look at all the politicians in the country, the most efficient and honest politicians are the ones who were NOT brought up in the midst of wealth.
Well said. 100 percent concur.
New York has had a conservative party for decades. Notice how successful they have been at electing people(not). What makes anyone think another national conservative party would go anywhere when the Constitution Party holds its conventions in phone booths? (Don't even talk about the Libretardians).
If he gets his way, count on it.
Sorry. There should have been a lot more. Bush, more than any democrat, destroyed what was left of conservatism in the GOP.
After the GOP won the House in 2002 Bush started pushing for social programs and govt. intervention. This turned the remaining conservatives in the GOP into schizophrenics vis-a-vis politics. They were elected as conservatives but the leader of the GOP was becoming more liberal. So, they decided if that's what the leader wants they'll go along.
Bush did not veto anything but three bills if I recall correctly. How in the hell do you go through eight years of profligate spending not veto any pork laden spending bills?
Conservatism was thrown by the wayside by Bush. It wasn't even compassionate conservatism it was downright liberalism.
He attacked us for wanting the borders defended by calling us vigilantes. How can you claim the man led on defense while he purposely left the borders open? He was more concerned about the Iran/Iraq border than he was his own.
He tried to put a liberal on the Supreme Court in Meiers.
Sorry, the man wasted eight years of political capital. If the result of this past election doesn't tell that then you remain blind. Bush did not fight socialism. He fostered it so that the next logical step for the electorate was push it further along.
“That was the price ‘rats extracted for approving the Homeland Security bill.”
That, in a nutshell, is the crux of the Bush legacy. Lack of leadership in any meaningful way. His method was to patronize the democrats rather than confront them. Sending the military out was easy (and necessary), but here at home he did nothing but patronize liberals. Liberals, like muslims, respect those who patronize them even less than those who actually fight them. Bush was worthless.
Very good! I also think that Bush, like many of the elite in this country, simply cannot fathom the downfall of the U.S. regardless of what they do. It is beyond their comprehension that their actions could destroy the greatest country on earth. They are that arrogant.
Bush was blinded by the security of his wealth assuming that equity in our homes would be the new industry of the U.S. Money on paper has been proven to be worth less and he's doesn't understand it. If everyone just owned a home the U.S. would be rich forever.
Bush, and his cronies, are so out of touch it's not possible for them to see the damage done.
My wish is, that rather than Dallas, Bush should move to Mexico City to live among “his people”.
I have been a big supporter of President Bush. I still do support him. I think he is a very decent man and has been a great President in many ways.
My two biggest disappointments in his Presidency have been:
1.) that he seemed to have given up on defending his foreign policy half way through his second term and many times was way too appeasing to democrats and the far left overall.
2.) his big government domestic politics. Though I supported some of it (Homeland Security for one) He barely ever vetoed spending and/or expansions of government. The fact that he ended his Presidency with the TARP expansion of government influence into the free market leaves a great stain upon his legacy, imo.
****What makes anyone think another national conservative party would go anywhere when the Constitution Party holds its conventions in phone booths?****
We’ve been told that we had to vote for the Republican party no matter how bad the candidate was, because:
A: The other candidate is worst.
B: No one is voting for a third party.
C: Ross Perot
D: It’s our only chance.
And we are still being told that our only chance is the Republican party, and that we need to go to the middle to get the votes. Don’t try to educate the public as to why conservative principles work.
Now we are being told that we need to get more RINO’s in our party to broaden our appeal.
Thanks to people like you, the Constitution Party will never have a chance.
During the first 48 hours after the hurricane, the bulk of the manpower (helicopters and natl guard troops) were engaged in lifesaving search and rescue (as they should have been) for the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in homes, attics, rooftops, and elsewhere.
It took the big food and water convoys 48-36 hours to clear away rubble and rebuild destroyed highways JUST TO GET TO NEW ORLEANS proper!
Meanwhile, the Ray Nagin liberal screw ups and the Louisana governor were hiding under their beds, demanding this and that.
I am so sick of this blame of GWB. All efforts except for New Orleans went perfectly smooth, which proves to me that the local govts of new orleans couldn't rescue a freaking bunny rabbit on a sunny day.
It irks me to no end that even smart conservative Republicans have bought into this 'Katrina rescue was a disaster' baloney.
Given the state of the Republican Party, I’m ready to vote third party.
“Bush bashing liberals” bashing Bush for being too liberal?
Yeah that makes sense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.